Bedspring



Jan. 9, 1945. v "c, J ELDER 2,366,646

BED SPRING Filed Jan. 8, 1943 INVENTOR. Owl/2L E5 .11 [11952,

Wra /n Y5.

Patented Jan. 9, 1945 NITED PATENT OFFICE BEDSPRING Cha es E er Mun Mame-lad e corp ation of Ind-, a sisnc to T e p Application January :8, 194:Serial No. 471,550

- My invention relates to bed springs or other spring assemblies whichembody a pluralityof rows of helically coiled compression springs. 'In

such assemblies, itis customary to provide a border frame coplanar withthe end t-urns of the compression springs and secured to the end turnsof the compression springs at the periphery of:

It is the primary object of my inventiontoprovide a simple andeconomical expedient for securing the end turns of theperipheralcompression springs to the border frame. More speci-flcally,it is my object toa-ttach the end turns of the compression springs tothe border frame in" a manner which will require no additionalelemen-ts. Another object ofimy invention is to provide ameans ofattachment between the border frame and the end turns of the compressionsprings which is especially suitable when the border frame is made ofwood.

In carrying out my invention; the inner face of the border frame isprovided for each peripheral compression spring with a groove or "slotadapted to receive a portion of the end turn of such spring. Thatportion of each spring turn which is received in the associated groovefor slot isprovided with an upwardly extending offset adapted to engagean outwardly presented shoulder or surface the border frame so as to prevent removal of the spring from the groove or slot by rectilinearmovement of the rin the plane of the slot; 1 i

The accompanying drawing illustratesmy in vention:

Fig. 1 is afragmental planview showing one corner of a bed springersimilar spring-assemy; ig- 2 is a g c t .e e aiiqnof can ner face of onesideofthe'border frame showing a portion of an end turn of a compressionspring associated therewith; Fig. 3 is a section on the 1 1: .o F g shng the pr ne in lo commonly have a generally frustoeconica form,

the smaller ends of the springs bein .SQCHIBQ t9 the base frame whilethe lar er endsare upper most; and such an arrangement islllustratfidthe drawing. The upper end turns '12 nfml hc several compression springs1.0 are all .substom tiall-y coplanar and surroundedbyabQrder f-mmB towhich the upper .end .tums f the periphera springs 10 areconnected,

. The border frame illustrated in the drawin is one made of stripsofwood I substantially square in cross-section. These strips extend alongthe sides and acrossthe ends of the a sembl and strips meetin at -t c coner 10?. th frame are secured to eth nco ven ntw the mannerillustratedin Fig. 5. Asthere shown,

the joint between meeting strips is a. lap Joint reinforced :by a metalplate Iii secured .to the two strips as bymeans oi .sQlleWS :ll;

. Adjacent each of the peripheral springs 19,,

eachof the .strips'lli is provided in its inner face with a slot orgroove in adapted .to receive the;

end turn .12 or the adjacent. spring, Desirably the slot :orgroove"-ZDsis pneiiormed icy-a sewer other circular cutter having adiameterlapnmx mately equal to the outer diameter of. theend spring=turnL2, as will be clear from Fig. '1. The

width of the roove fin-may .ibe, and desirably somewhat greater than:the thickness .of

from which :-the. prings [In are formed.

.Ateachiof the grooyes Mjthe lower surface of reach stripiii-is provided.with a groove 21 whichextendslnpwardly into the materialof the strip 15to a .lpoint somewhat above the-upper face of the groove 20, as will beclear fromiiigs. 2! to 4, to provide immediately above the groove r 20anoutwardly presented shoulder 22..

c e in s ion re a e t the b rder ramei ie- 4 i a ie s m a oF g- 3showinea pert o of the com ress on prin in process orbs:

s n r d in t e t o roove in the order ra e; 5 i an ometr c e h ng t enstr ion a co ner of a ooden arde am n Fi 6 is a v w mila tc i 2 llusHating b which com res i n r n s a h ea ers the e ly ma e secured to theloord'er frame. 4

T esp ingas em y l l sirated in Fig 1 s m prises a plurality of rows of'helieally coiled com- At itsoutermo-st point, each of the pringsturnslz isformed withan upwardlylprojecting offset 23 adapted to be receivedin the uppermost pore tion of the groove 2 behind the'shoulder 22formedhy the inner face of the groove 2|. spring and horder frame areshow-nin assembled condition in Figs. Zand 8; l

The manner in which the peripheral com'pres: sion springs 10 arebroughtinto association with the'border rrame is illustrated in Fig. :4;As will be clear from that figure, each sprin zi tilted.

outwardly from the position it normally occupics in the assembly into anapproximately horizontal position and the offset on the eridturn l2 ofthe pring isflinserted into the slot -21). Be-

pressionsprings I0 attached at their lower ends to and supported fromcross members H of a'base frame, prings used assemblies of this kindslot in; to atethe s cause this slot has a width greater than the t icnes 9 t e r enmin the pring t i is b .-aie a n the one 2 t th ,5downwardly in l andheld in place therein by a pin or nail the offset 23to enter the upper portion of groove 2|. Desirably, the grooves 20 and2| are the so proportioned that at least a slight distortion of thespring is necessary in effecting the insertion of the offset 23 into thegroove 2|, as thereby lost-motion between the spring and border framemay be eliminated and amore secure fastening obtained.

In the case of the springs at the corners of the assembly, it iscustomary to secure each spring to both sides of the border framemeeting at that,

corner. I therefore provide grooves 20 for the reception of the end turn12 of each corner spring. It will be obvious-however, that it would beimpossible to employ the expedient illustrated in Figs. 2 to 4 insecuring the end'turn' l2 of each corner spring to the two side members15 associated with it; for the insertion of the end turn I2 into thegroove 20 in one strip l5 would pre-"- vent that rotation of the springwhich'is'necessprings II) in association with the border frame isespecially adaptable in situations where the border frame is made ofwood. Any load applied:

to the spring assembly tends to rotate the end 3. The invention setforth in claim 1, with the addition that the sides of said borderframeare of rectangularcross section, each of said slots extending onlypartially through the frame-side and being of arcuate form conformingapproximately to the curvature of the associated spring end-turns, theshoulder associated with each slot constituting a portion of the innerface of a sec- ..ond slot extending upwardly from the lower face of theframe-side and crossing the plane of the first named slot.

I 4. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition thatthe sidesof said border frame are of rectangularcross section, each of saidslotsextending only partially through the frame-side, the shoulderassociated with each slot constituting a portion of the inner face of asecondslot extending upwardly from the lower face of the frame-side andcrossing the plane of thenfirst namedslot. l

5. In a spring assembly, a group of parallelaxis compression springs, aborder-frame. surrounding said springs; the; springs at the peripha eryof said group having end turns coplanar-with and contiguous to saidborder frame, said frame being provided adjacent the end turn of each;peripheral spring With an inwardly presented slot receiving a segment ofsuch end turn,;suchsegment having intermediate its length-an-offsetprojecting from the plane of the end turn. in'a direction oppositetothatpf the load 'to be posed on the compressionsprings said border:

frame having at eachof said slotsan outwardly turns of each peripheralspring relative to the border frame in a direction such as Will bringthe offset 23 more firmly into contact with the shoulder 22; and as aresult, loading of the spring assembly has no tendency to causeseparation of the end turns of the peripheral springs from the I borderframe. v- 1 As will be clear from Fig. 1, when the assem+- bly iscompleted with the offset. 23 of eachspri'ngengaging the shoulder 22 theend turn-|2 will engage the ends of the slot 20. This makes for a morestable construction, in that'engagement of the end turn with the ends ofthe slot 20 opposes any tendency of the end turn to rotate'reIatively tothe border frame about a vertical axis throughthe offset 23.

I claim as my invention: Y

1. In a spring assembly of the type described,

a group of compression springs arranged in a plurality of parallel rowsand having substantially coplanar upper end turns, a generallyrectangular border frame surrounding the upper end turns of saidcompression springs and coplanar therewith, said border framebeingprovided in the inner faces of its sides and adjacent each ofthesprings at the periphery of said group with an inwardly opening slotreceiving a segment of the upper end turn of such spring, said borderframe having immediately above each of said slots an outwardly presentedshoulder spaced outwardly from the inner face of the border frame, the'spring end-turn associated with each of said slots being provided withmeans engaging said shoul der to prevent withdrawal of the end-turn fromthe slot.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 withthe; addition that said meanscomprises an upwardly projecting ofiset on the spring end-turn.

being provided adjacent the end "turn of leach peripheral spring with aninwardly presented slotreceiving a segment of such end turn, suchsegment having intermediate its length anjoffsetprojecting fromthe-plane of the end turn, saidbprder frame having at each of saidslotsanout wardly presented shoulderengaging said offset to preventwithdrawal ofthe end turns frorntheslot..-

7. The invention set forth in clairnfi withthe addition that the segmentof thferidQturn-r ceived in said slot engages the ends of such-slot.-

8. In a spring assembly ofthe type described, a group of compression.springs arrange d in aplurality of parallel rows and having 'substan-'tially coplanar upper end turns,.a generallyrec-l tangular border framesurrounding the upper end turns of said. compression springs. and co-.planar therewith, .said border frame being prdr vided in the innerfacesof. its, sides and. adjacent each of the springs at the peripheryof said group with an inwardly opening' slot receiving a s'eg-. ment ofthe upper end turn of 'such spring, said border frame having,immediately adjacent ;each. of said slots an outwardly presentedshoul'der spaced outwardly from the inner. face ofth'e der frame, thespring,v end turn associated w'ith' each of said slots being providedvirithineans en gaging said shoulder to prevent withdrawal-toftheend-turn from the slot..

9. The invention set forth in "claifiiQS-With he CHARLES ELDER.

